EGC and Trafigura ship copper and cobalt to global markets via the Lobito Atlantic Railway

Published: Feb 9, 2026 08:00

Save

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s state-owned cobalt company EGC and commodities trader Trafigura have recently completed the first shipment of copper and cobalt products to international markets via the Lobito Atlantic Railway (LAR), marking an important step forward in the development of the DRC’s mineral export logistics system. The Lobito Railway spans approximately 1,300 kilometers, linking the deep-water port of Lobito on Angola’s Atlantic coast with the DRC border town of Luau, and extending further to Kolwezi in the heart of the DRC’s copper and cobalt belt. This route reduces inland transport time from the mining areas to an African port to around seven days, making it the shortest and most efficient corridor connecting the DRC’s mineral resources to global markets.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

27 mins ago

Copper Inventories in China's Major Regions Continued Destocking for the Fourth Consecutive Week Over the Weekend [SMM Weekly Data]

27 mins ago

1 hour ago

Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Apr 07)

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 07 Apr , 2026

1 hour ago

4 hours ago

Shanghai Copper Market Expected to Stay Pressured, Supported by Supplier Firmness and Downstream Restocking

Looking ahead, the Shanghai spot copper market is expected to remain under pressure. Supply side, although some suppliers offloaded cargo during the day, the discount did not widen significantly. Going forward, suppliers showed a stronger willingness to hold prices firm, with some enterprises controlling the pace of shipments, providing support for spot copper. Available supplies in Jiangsu were tight, further strengthening suppliers' willingness to hold prices firm. Demand side, on the first trading day after the Qingming Festival, downstream enterprises showed high enthusiasm for resuming operations, procurement sentiment recovered, and support from just-in-time procurement remained. Overall, driven by the combined effect of suppliers holding prices firm and downstream restocking, Shangh

4 hours ago